Convertible freight-car.



No. 669,876. Patented mar. l2, lool.

o. cmTcHLow.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAR.

(Applicatin Illed June 19, 190cm LWN AQ/ m k Y .EN MMX N v\ I )i i N k mw E mm No. 669,676. Patented Mar. l2, mol. o. B. cmTcHLow.

CONVERTBLE FREIGHT CAR.

(Applicaifm led June 19, IBOOJ (No Model.)

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.OSCAR BENJAMIN CRITCHLOW, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO JOHN B. FITZPATRICK, OF SAME PLACE,` AND LUCIEN P.

CURTIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT-GAR.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 669,876, dated March 12,1901.

Application filed June 19, 1900. Serial No. 20,826. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern;

Be it known that I, OSCAR BENJAMIN CRITGHLOW, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Leadville, in the county of Lake and State ofColorado, have invented a new and Improved Convertible Freight-Car, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a ro new and improvedconvertible freight-car which is simple and durable in construction andarranged to permit of conveniently converting it from an ordinaryfiat-bottom boX- car used for carrying freight to a hopperbottom box-carfor carrying grain and the like.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then zo pointed outin the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate cor- 2 5 responding parts inallthe views.

Figure l is aside elevation of the improvement with parts broken out.Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same with parts broken out andparts removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of theimprovement arranged as a hopper-bottom box-car. Fig. 4 is an enlargedside elevation of one end of the conveyer-screw. Fig. 5 is an enlargedtransverse sectionof the fastening 3 5 means for the cha mber-door, andFig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the sections of thebottom.

The improved car hasa box-body A, consisting of floor-timbers A', sidesA2, ends A3, and a top A4, as is plainly illustrated in the drawings,and approximately of ordinary construction. The sides A2 of the box-bodyare provided with suitable doors B for giving access to the interior ofsaid body, and the bottom of the box-body is formed of sections C,adapted torest either on the floor-timbers A to form the bottom for anordinary iiatbottom box-car, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, orthe said sections C may be arranged in an inclined position extendingfrom the sides A2 of the box-body inwardly and downwardly to within ashort distance of the middle of the car to form a hopper-bottom box-car,as indicated in full lines in Fig. 3. The inner ends of the sections Crest on the central longitudinal beams of the floor-timbers A,While theouter upper ends are formed on their under side with projections C',adapted to hook upon supports D, extending longitudinally on the innerface of the sides A2 6o of the box-body, said supports having removableportions extending across the dooropenings for the doors B.

Each section C is provided on top with a suitable ring C2, adapted to betaken hold of by the operator to conveniently place the bottom-sectionsin either the inclined or the horizontal position above referred to, andover the joint of the upper ends' of the sections with the sides of thecar extends a longitndi- 7o nal strip of canvas C2, preferably fastenedto the sides of the car to prevent grain or like loose material fromlodging between the sides of the car and the upper ends of the sectionsC.

The space between the central longitudinal beams of the floor-timbers Aand into which discharge the lower ends of the bottom-sections C when inan inclined position forms a conveyer-casing E, in which extends aconveyer-screw F, journaled in suitable bearings 8o carried by theHoor-timbers A'. The casing E is connected with a suitabledischargespout G, located either at the middle or one at each end of thecar-body, so that when the conveyer-screw is rotated the grain is movedin the casing E to the said spout or spouts for discharging the grainfrom the box-body.

Each outer end of the shaft of the conveyerscrew F is tapped to receivethe threaded end 9o of the shaft F of a pulley F2, adapted to beconnected by belt with other machinery for imparting a rotary motion tothe conveyerscrew for moving the grain to the spouts Gr, as abovedescribed. The shaft F/ is provided with a pin F3, adapted to abutagainst a lug F4 on the conveyer-screw shaft to prevent the pulley-shaftF from screwing too far into the conveyer-screw shaft.

When the grain is stored in the box-body roo A and the car is intransit, then the entrance to the space is closed by suitable slides H,mounted to slide transversely in suitable bearings in the floor-timbersA', and each slide H carries at its outer end a nut H', screwing on ascrew-rod I, mounted to turn in suitable bearings in the floor-timbersA', a hand-wheel I' being on the outer end of the screwrod, as isplainly shown in Fig. 3. The hand-wheel I' extends in a chamber A5,formed in the floor-timbers A', and the outer side of said chamberconsists of a door A6, hinged at A7 to the floor-timbers near the sideA2 of the car. The door AG is normally locked-that is, during the timethe car is in transit-and for this purpose the inner side of the door isprovided with keepers J, engaged by catches J', secured on a shaft J2,extending longitudinally in the chamber A5 and journaled in suit-ablebearings carried by the floor-timbers A'. On one outer end ot' the shaftJ2 is secured a handle J2, adapted to be locked by a suitable lock orseal to the end of the car-body, so that unauthorized persons cannotturn the shaft J2 without'detection, and consequently the chamber A5under normal conditions is closed and no access is had to the hand-wheelI'.

When it is desired to unload the car of its grain, then an authorizedperson unlocks the handle J3, so as to turn the shaft J2 and move thecatches J' out of engagement with the keepers J. rlhe doors A6 are nowswung open tol give access to the hand-Wheels I', which are now turnedby the operator to turn the screws I and move the several slides Houtward. l/Vhen this takes place, the grain in the car-body passes intothe casing E and ismoved by the now-rotated conveyer-screw F to thedischarge spout or spouts G, as 'previously explained.

In order to properly ventilate the car, suitable doors K are arranged inthe sides of the car A2, near the upper ends thereof, and said doors areconnected at their lower ends by hinges K' with the sides of said carand are held in either an open or closed position by links K2, pivotedto the sides of the said doors K. The doors K also form a hopper throughwhich the car may be filled with grain.

In order to prevent the grain from falling through cracks betweenadjacent sections, I prefer to so form the sections that they willoverlap at their sides, as indicated in Fig. 6.

It is understood that when the car is in transit the pulley F2is removedfrom the conveyer-screw and is stored, preferably, in the chamber A5, sothat the conveyer-screw cannot be accidentally turned during the timethe car is in transit.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. A convertible freight-car, comprising abox-bodyhaving longitudinal supports, and a Hoor for the body andadapted to be hung on said supports and extend in an inclined directionfrom the sides of the car-body to near the longitudinal middle thereof,the inner ends of the door resting on the longitudinal beams of theHoor-timbers of the car, substantially as shown and described.

2. A convertible freight-car, comprising a box-body having supportsextending longitudinally on the inner face of the sides of the box-body,and a iioor for the body made in sections and arranged to either extendin a horizontal position on the floor-supporting timbers, or hang withtheir outer ends on said longitudinal support and extend in an inclineddirection from the sides of the carbody, with the inner-ends of thefloor-sections resting on the central longitudinal beams of thefloor-timbers, as set forth.

3. A convertible freight-car, comprising a box-body, having supportsextending longitudinally on the inner face of the sides of the box-body,a floor for the body and made in sections having projections on theirouter ends at the under side, the sections being arranged to eitherextend in a horizontal position on the floor-supporting timbers or hangwith their outer projecting ends on said su pports, and extend from thesides of the carbody inward and downward in an inclined direction to thefloor-timbers, with the inner ends of the licor-sections resting onthe-central longitudinal beams of the licor-timbers,

the space between the said centra-l longitudi nal beams forming aconveyer-casing, into which discharge the lower ends of the loorsectionswhen in an inclined position, and a conveyer-screw extendinglongitudinally in said casing, as set forth.

4. A convertible freight-car, comprising a box-body having longitudinalsupports,a door for the body7 and made in sections arranged to eitherextend in a horizontal position on the floor-supporting timbers, or hangwith their outer ends on said supports and extend from the sides of thecar-body inward and downward in an inclined direction to thefloor-timbers at or near the middle of the car, a conveyer-casing havinga conveyer-screw at the middle of the car and into which discharge saidfloor-sections, and slides for closing said casing and manuallycontrolled from the outside of the car, as set forth.

5. A convertible freight-car, comprising a box-body having longitudinalsupports, a floor for the body and adapted to be hung on said supportsand extend in an inclined direction from the sides of the car-body tonear the middle thereof, and a strip of flexible material secured to thesides of the car and extending over the joint between the floor-sectionsand the sides of the car-body, as set forth.

6. Afreight-car havingabox-body provided on the inner face of its sideswith longitudinally-extending supports, movable inclined Hoor-sectionshaving projections on their under sides at their outer upper endsadapted to hook upon the said supports, a conveyercasing extendinglongitudinally in the bot- IOO IIO

tom of the car and into Which discharge said door-sections, aconveyer-screw in said conveyer-casing, and a discharge leading from thesaid casing, substantially as shown and described.

7. A freight-car having a box-body with movable inclined Hoor-sections,a conveyercasing in the bottom of the car and into which discharge saidloor-sections,a conveyer-screw in said conveyer-casing, a dischargeleading from said casing, and slides for closing said casing at the topthereof, as set forth.

8. A freight-car having a box-bod)1 With movable inclined door-sections,a conveyercasing in the bottom of the car and into which discharge saidiloorsections,a conveyer-screw in said conveyercasing, a dischargeleading from said casing, slides for closing said casing at the topthereof, each slide having a nut, a screw-rod mounted to turn andengaged by said nut, and a hand-Wheel for said screw-rod and extendingin a normally closed and locked chamber on said car-body, as set forth.

9. A freight-car having a box-body with movable inclined Hoor-sections,a con veyercasing in the bottom of the car and into which discharge saidfloor-sections,aconveyer-screw in said conveyer-casing, a dischargeleading from said casing, slides for closing said casing at the topthereof, each slide having a nut, a screw-rod mounted to turn andengaged by said nut, a hand-Wheel for said screw-rod the said hand-Wheelbeing located in a normally closed and locked chamber on the canbody,said chamber having a hinged doei-,and means for locking said door, asset forth.

lO. A freight-car having a conveyer-screw, and a removable pulley forthe same, said pulley having a shaft provided with a threaded endadapted to screw in the tapped end of ihe shaft of the conveyer-screw,the shaft of the pulley being provided With a pin adapted to abutagainsta lug on the conveyer-screw shaft for the purpose set forth.

l1. A freight-car, comprising a box-body having supports extendinglongitudinally on the inner face of the sides of the box-body, the saidsupports having removable portions extending across the openings for thedoors in the sides of the cars, movable inclined Hoorsections engagingwith their outer ends the said supports,a conveyer-casing in the bottomof the car and into Which discharge said floor-sections, and slides forclosing said casing at the top thereof, as set forth.

l2. A freight-car having a box-body With movable inclinedfloor-sections, a conveyercasing in the bottom of the car and into whichdischarge said floor sections, a conveyer screw in said conveyercasing,a discharge leading from said casing, slides for closing said casing atthe top thereof, means for moving the slides,the said means extendingWithin a chamber on the car-body, a hinged door for said chamberprovided on the inner side with keepers and a shaft extendinglongitudinally in the chamber and mounted to turn, the said shaft beingprovided with catches adapted to engage the keepers on the door, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OSCAR BENJAMIN GRITCHLOW.

Witnesses:

MAURICE KAHN, JOHN B. FITZPATRICK.

